Sheet feed or separator.



No. 759,705. PATBNTED MAY 10, 1904. '0. G. HARRIS.

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No. 759,705. PATENTED MAY 10, 1904.

' 0. G. HARRIS.

SHEET FEED 0R SEPARATDR.

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UNITED STATES Patented May 10, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

a r t CHARLES GRANT HARRIS. OF NILES, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE HARRISAUTOMATIC PRESS COMPANY, OF NILES, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

SHEET FEED OR SEPARATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 759,705, dated May 10,1904:.

Application filed October 22, 1902. Serial No. 128,304. (No model.)

'To a, who/'11 it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, Cinemas (jrnAN'r T-IARI-LIS, of Niles, in the countyof Trumbull and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Sheet Feeds or Separators; and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same.

The object of this invention is to improve the construction and enhancethe utility of a sh eetfeed embodying the invention patented tome in andby Letters Patent of the United States,

5 No. 651,307, dated June 5, 1900.

It is well known in the art that there is always some slipping infeeding stock, varying under different conditions. If the paper shouldbe unevenly fed up to the withdrawal -rolls and greater than the facespeed of such rolls, the latter have a tendency to tear the stock; butas my present invention has demonstrated by giving to the paper anaccelerated speed- 5 that is, a speed greater than that at which thewithdrawal rolls are rotatedthe paper is overfed,so to speak, betweenthe separator or feeder and the withdrawal-rolls,with the result thatthe whole width of the paper is well pull or tension thereon.

In the practical application of I the invention patented to me by theabove-noted Letters Patent the positivcly-driven contact element ispreferably composed of endless bands or belts passed over two rolls,while the upper cooperating frictionally-retarded contact element is inthe form of a series of rolls.

4 mittently operated ceases to act under its driving agency as a sheetor other article is separated from its pile and fed forward to thewithdrawal-roll; but the sheet being taken up not being advanced at aspeed equal to or passed between the rolls before they exert a Thepositively-driven contact element being inter' exerted on the paper bythe withdrawal-rolls. By my present invention it is contemplated to 5 sooperate the endless bands of the positivelydriven element as to avoidgiving a sheet a hard blow in starting it forward-that is to say, thebands are given a gradually-inereas- 'ing movement, resulting also inoverfeeding the stock to the withdrawal-rolls, so that the forward edgeis well between the latter before they can exert any tension thereon.

A further object of the present invention is to provide auxiliaryfeeding means for large stock, so as to give additional forward impulsetothe stock, and thereby prevent undue strain upon the main feed.

The invention will be hereinafter fully set forth, and particularlypointed out in the 5 claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view with parts brokenaway. Fig. 2 is an elevation. Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of one end ofthe feeder, showing the position of the OPOI'ELEIVQPELIES upon thecompletion of the forward positive action of the feeder. Fig.

4 is a like view of the same parts in position at the commencement ofthe forward positive action. Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view with theauxiliary feeder shown raised in dotted lines.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates the shaft, and 2 the rubberrolls, of the frictionally-retarded contact element of the feeder orseparator, the brake or retarder being indicated atl. The 11ositively-driven contact element is shown as composed of endless bands3, engaging two rolls 4 and 5, the latter at one end beingintermittently actuated by suitable 8 5 mechanism, (indicated at 6.)This mechanism comprises a rack-bar 7 which drives roll 5 only whenmoved in one direction, such rackbar being actuated by aconstantlyrotated cam 8, the different positions of which are 9 shown inFigs. 3 and i. This cam is so formed as to impart to the bands composingthe positively-driven contact element a gradually-increasing motion, themaximum speed of travel being at the completion of the positive actionof the rack-bar, the bands so far as being operated by this mechanism isconcerned remaining thereafter unaffected until the rack-bar is againbrought into position to effect the gradually-increasing travel thereof.

The withdrawal-rolls are shown as composed of a series of upper rolls 9,mounted on a shaft 10 and engaging a lower roll-shaft 12, both of whichare'constantly operated in one direction. It is by giving to the stockthe gradually-accelerated speed that it is overfed to thewithdrawal-rolls and well passed between the latter before they exertany tension thereon. When such tension is so exerted, the drivingmechanism 6 has completed its action on the positively-driven contact,and, as occurs with most stock, a portion of thearticle fed being stillbetween the two contacts when tension is exerted thereon by thewithdrawal-rolls the bands of the positively-driven contact will befurther rotated by the withdrawal of the article from between the twocontacts.

l3designates an auxiliary'feed, the purpose of which is to relieve themain feed from undue strain in feeding large stock by giving to thebottom of the pile an intermittent forward movement synchronously withthe action of the main feed. It is located immediately in rear of thelatter and consists, in brief, of a series of endless bands 14, passedover two rolls 15 and 16, the latter of which is driven by a chain 17,which derives motion from one of the shafts of the main feed. The rolls15 and 16 are mounted in head-blocks 18, which are movable vertically inside guides set in the ends of the opening in the table. Theseheadblocks are intermittently raised and lowered, being in theirelevated positions during the time the bands 14 are positively actuated.Depending rack portions of these head-blocks are engaged by pinions 19on a shaft 20, having its hearings in the feed-table. A crank 21 of thisshaft is connected by a rod 22 to a lever 23, which lever is engaged atone end by a cam 24 on aconstantly-operated shaft of the press. Theaction of this cam on the lever tends to intermittently raise and lowerthe head-blocks of the auxiliary feed-rolls, the cam serving to hold theauxiliary feed elevated during the positive action on the feedbeltsthereof. These belts are preferably arranged as shown in Fig. l,separated by intermediate plates 25, spanning the opening in thefeed-table and serving to support the stock as against sagging. Theseplates are removably secured, so that they may be adjusted toaccommodate stock of different sizes.

The same idea involved in the main feed of a gradually-increasing speedimparted to the feed-belts is observed in the auxiliary feed, with theresult that I am enabled to handle stock of large proportions withoutdihiculty, the additional forward impulse by the auxiliary feed tendingto hold the stock well up against the main feed.

As pointed out in my before-noted patent,

my sheet feed or separator is characterized by the fact that while thetwo coacting contacts will'revolve in' unison when in direct engagementand also when but a single sheet is interposed between them, yet whenthere is a plurality of sheets present the complementary coactingelement is retarded and only the sheet with which the positively-drivencontact is in direct engagement will be separated from the others. Inthe present invention this positively-driven contact element is given agradually accelerated speed, as is also the auxiliary feed mounted inrear thereof.

In the arrangement shown the feed is effected from the bottom of a pileor stack of paper which is kept well up in place, with the forward edgesof the sheets graduated or slightly advanced, by the rotation of theendless bands 3, augmented by the action of bands 14.

I claim as my invention 1. A sheet feed or separator having two coactingcontacts, one being frictionally retarded but driven by the other onlywhen they are in direct engagement or with a single sheet interposed,such other contact being driven at a constantly-increased speed, themaximum of which is coextensive with the cessation thereof. p

2. A sheet feed or separator having two coacting contacts,one beingfrictionally retarded but driven by the other only when theyvare indirect engagement or with a single sheet interposed, such other contactbeing intermittently driven at a uniform gradually-increasing speed.

3. A sheet feed or separator having two coacting contacts, one beingfrictionally retarded but driven by'the other only when they are indirect engagement or with a single sheet interposed, such other contacthaving a series of bands for coacting with the frictionally-retardedcontact, and means for intermittently operating said bands at auniformgraduallyincreasing speed.

4. A sheet feed or separator having two coacting contacts, one beingfrictionally retarded but driven by the other only when they are indirect engagement or with a single sheet interposed, such other contacthaving a series of bands for coacting with the frictionally-retardedcontact, means for intermittently operating such bands at a uniformgradually-increasing speed, and means for withdrawing the stock fromsaid contacts, such stock being overfed to such withdrawing means by theendless bands, such bands being free to rotate under the withdrawal ofthe stock by the withdrawal means, as set forth.

5. The combination with asheet feed or separator for feeding from'thebottom of a pile of stock, of means for intermittently actuating thesame at a gradually-increasing speed, an auxiliary feed mounted in rearof such feed or separator and designed to engage the bot- Lil tom ofsuch pile, and means for imparting to such auxiliary feed anintermittent graduallyincreasing speed, as set forth.

6. The combination with a sheet feed or separator for feeding from thebottom of a pile of stock, of means for intermittently actuating thesame at a gradually-increasing speed, an auxiliary feed mounted in rearof such feed or separator, means for intermittently moving suchauxiliary feed into and out of contact with the bottom of such pile, andmeans for imparting to such auxiliary feed, when in contact with saidpile, a gradually-increasing speed, as set forth.

7. The combination with a sheet feed or separator for feeding from thebottom of a pile of stock, of means for intermittently actuating thesame at a gradually-increasing speed, an

auxiliary feed mounted in rear of such feed or separator having a seriesof endless bands, means for intermittently moving such bands into andout of contact with the bottom of such pile, and actuating meansconnecting said auxiliary feed to the main feed or separator forimparting to the bands thereof a gradually-increasing speed, such bandsbeing so actuated when in contact withthe bottom of said pile, as setforth.

8. The combination with the feed or separator, of the table in rearthereof havinga transverse opening therein, the heads movable in suchopening, rolls mounted in such heads, endless bands engaging such rolls,said bands being normally beneath the plane of the tabletop, means forintermittently raising and lowering said heads, and means for actuatingsaid bands when the heads are raised, as set forth.

9. The combination with the feed or separator, of the table in rearthereof having a transverse opening therein, the heads movable in suchopening, rolls mounted in such heads, endless bands engaging such rolls,said bands being normally beneath the plane of the tabletop, andarranged with intervening spaces, supporting-plates extending across theopening in the table-top in line with the spaces between the bands,means for removably secuu ing such plates to the table, means forintermittently raising and lowering said heads, and means for actuatingsaid bands when the heads are held raised, as set forth.

in testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES GRANT HARRIS.

WVitnesses:

CHARLES GINDER, 1*. G. ALLEN.

